The Finnish Museum Association has awarded the Satakunnan Museo in Pori with the title of Museum of the Year — the most prestigious recognition in the field — for promoting the visibility of the industry with what the association called fresh, new ideas.
"The museum undertakes uncompromising and professional work towards a common goal. Everyone from the museum employees and Pori residents to the entire Satakunta province is proud of their museum," the jury said in a statement, adding that the museum is a significant social influence in the field.
Seven museums including Pori's Satakunnan Museo, Helsinki's Amos Rex and Rauma's Lönnström Art Museum, competed for the title.
Amos Rex snags a special prize
The jury awarded the Amos Rex museum from Helsinki with a special prize in recognition of its remarkable work in the museum industry.
"The museum in the heart of Helsinki has grown into a phenomenon, drawing considerable attention to the entire museum industry," the panel described. The hugely popular museum opened its doors in August 2018.
The postal museum Postimuseo won the Annual Museum Communications award for its work on an exhibit titled 'Fanzines and Punk Mail', while the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki and the Finnish Craft Museum in Jyväskylä, central Finland, won the Museum Card special award.
The 2019 Museum Awards were presented in the city of Tampere on Thursday.